Pathanamthitta (Kerala): Theodosius Mar Thoma Metropolitan, the supreme head of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, on Sunday called on the Kerala Government to make public and act upon the recommendations of the Justice J B Koshy Commission report.

The Justice J B Koshy Commission was constituted to examine issues concerning the educational and economic backwardness, as well as the welfare, of Christian minorities in the state.

He was speaking after inaugurating the 131st Maramon Convention, the annual religious congregation held on the sand-bed of the Pampa River at Kozhencherry in Pathanamthitta district.

Theodosius pointed out that the Commission, formed on November 5, 2020, had submitted its findings in 2023 and that there should now be willingness on the part of authorities to release and implement the report.

“When the state government suggested a welfare fund for catechism teachers, what the Justice J B Koshy Commission recommended should be revealed. It should not become a backdoor entry for political intervention in Church bodies,” he said.

Stressing the importance of democratic participation, Theodosius said the right to vote must be exercised with responsibility and seriousness.

“At a time when the state, after local body elections, is moving towards Assembly elections, a governance system that is inclusive, respects equal rights, and is willing to hear criticism is essential,” he said.

“Democracy should not pave the way for autocracy. Alternative voices must exist. The Christian community should support politics that do not compromise with religious fanaticism and communalism,” he added.

Reflecting on broader social concerns, the Mar Thoma Metropolitan expressed anxiety over the increasing number of suicides in Kerala and claimed that 607 children had gone missing in the state over the last five years. He also referred to deaths caused by mob violence, stating that such incidents should not fade from public memory.

Pointing to a deteriorating law-and-order situation, Theodosius said criminal incidents were on the rise, citing the “sexual assault” of a spa employee by a gangster in Thiruvalla as an example.

The Maramon Convention, which runs for a week, attracts lakhs of devotees from different parts of India and abroad each year.

Meanwhile, Law Minister P Rajeev, responding to the remarks, said in Kochi that the government had already implemented most of the Commission’s recommendations. He said the steps taken by the government would be placed in the public domain.

“We will publicly state what has been done, what remains to be implemented, and the timeline for completion. Most of the recommendations can be implemented, though some require legal amendments,” he said.

PTI